The advent of non-combustion, electric motor vehicles has brought on a new set of design and engineering challenges not experienced with traditional combustion-powered vehicles. For example, refueling electric motor vehicles cannot be accomplished in the same ways. Instead of having gas tanks, which can be filled and drained limitlessly, many electric vehicles have energy storage cells that have to be recharged. A common solution presented, for example, for battery-powered electric vehicles is plug-and-wait. However, this is incredibly inconvenient for individuals who drive for long periods, such as on road trips, or for delivery vehicles that lose precious time that could be spent making deliveries.
One solution presented by Hall, et al. in patent application Ser. No. 15/220,890 is to have replaceable energy storage cartridges that can be exchanged through a co-op system. This allows an individual to “refuel” an electric vehicle without, for example, waiting for their batteries to recharge. Other current solutions suggest a similar system, where the batteries are disposed under the hood of the vehicle where the engine would normally be. However, this makes it appear as if the individual is working on the vehicle, or that the vehicle is broken-down, and can, for the individual, lead to many awkward conversations with strangers asking what their car trouble is. Other unresolved issues relate to the frequency with which an individual would have to access the energy storage compartment, and ensuring that the vehicle operates safely. Thus, there is ample room for improvement and the introduction of new solutions.